It is a time of fear in the face of freedom, a time of an emptying country and swelling cities, a time for the widening of previous roads and the opening of new paths, yet a time when these paths are mined by knowing algorithms of the all-seeing eye. It is the time of the warrior's peace and the miser's charity, when the planting of a seed is an act of conscientious objection. These are the times when maps fade, old landmarks crumble and direction is lost. Forwards is backwards now, so we glance sideways at the strange lands through which we are all passing, knowing for certain only that our destination has disappeared. We are unready to meet these times, but we proceed nonetheless, adapting as we wander, reshaping the Earth with every tread. Behind us we have left the old times, the standard times, the high times. Welcome to the irregular times.

Can you tell me what this bill does just by reading its text? Probably not, and to tell you the truth, I can’t tell you either. We have to follow the references in order to figure it out. Let’s do that.

(b) SECTIONS 206 AND 215 SUNSET.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Effective December 31, 2009, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 is amended so that sections 501, 502, and 105(c)(2) read as they read on October 25, 2001.
(2) EXCEPTION.—With respect to any particular foreign intelligence investigation that began before the date on which the provisions referred to in paragraph (1) cease to have effect, or with respect to any particular offense or potential offense that began or occurred before the date on which such provisions
cease to have effect, such provisions shall continue in effect.

That’s cryptic, too, isn’t it? Let’s figure it out. On October 25, 2001, changes were made to “sections 501, 502 and 105(c)(2)” of the FISA Act of 1978. They’re set to be undone on December 31, 2009, and the Republicans want to change it so that they stay in force until December 31, 2019. The changes made on October 25, 2001 are changes made by the USA Patriot Act Sections 206 and 215, which permit government agents to engage in roving wiretaps (section 206) and to secretly obtain information on your reading habits, web browsing history or “any tangible things” from libraries, bookstores, universities and other businesses (section 205) without the warrant required by the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

In short, the Safe and Secure America Act of 2009 lets the government continue to obtain information on you without a warrant, to engage in continued roving wiretaps, and to designate people suspected of doing things that might be activities that might end up in a terrorist act as legally equivalent to a spy for the KGB.

From the history of the Military Commissions Act, the Protect America Act and the FISA Amendments Act we have a pretty good template for what happens next:

1. The government announces of some unspecified plan by some unspecified terrorists in some unspecified place at some unspecified time. We’re told to be on the lookout for unspecified terrorists doing dastardly things.

2. Right-wing members of Congress, pundits on FOX News and Juval Aviv take to the airwaves to talk about the imminent disaster to befall us all unless we grant the government powers to “stop the terrorists.”

3. Members of Congress pass the bill, constitution be damned.

4. Democrats respond to angry activists by promising to look into civil liberties issues at some unspecified time in some unspecified manner.

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